Treat your water

[papajos]

I do a lot of camping/hiking/detecting and you will always need a source of water. Have always packed a canteen or two or brought my filter. Have found a new system that works great. It is the "Steri-pen". It is an ultraviolet light device that will purify a quart of water in 90 seconds. Used it a few times in the Adirondack mts (beaver ponds and lakes/streams) and it works great. Just a couple ounces to carry and if you have a source of treatable water it is the way to go. A little pricey but lasts a long time. Retail is around 100 bucks but got mine on sale for 60.

 

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[spartacus53]

That is a very interesting little gadget, a bit pricey for my budget too. I still would purify the old fashioned way, strain through cheesecloth and boil the heck out of it A few germs won't hurt and most bacteria will not survive the boiling. If I did more camping I would surely invest in that little gizmo.

 

[RGINN]

I always look for some sort of life in the water before I drink it. That sounds like a handy gadget to have around, papajos. I don't know if that would help me up here though, because a lot of these 'pure Rocky Mountain streams' have minerals leaching into them from old mines. Fish can't even live long enough to reproduce in the Snake River over by Keystone.

 

[papajos]

I always look for some sort of life in the water before I drink it. That sounds like a handy gadget to have around, papajos. I don't know if that would help me up here though, because a lot of these 'pure Rocky Mountain streams' have minerals leaching into them from old mines. Fish can't even live long enough to reproduce in the Snake River over by Keystone.

Yeah, you are right. It won't remove minerals or organic contaminants. It will kill the tiny critters-bacteria/pathogens and viruses. For the rest I would recommend a MSR or Katadyn filter. Boiling only concentrates these contaminants. Unless you have a distiller. Then that would take care of everything. A little bulky to pack very far though.

I have been to a few spots where you could just cup your hands and scoop up great tasting pure drinking water. But those places are getting harder and harder to find.

 

[Eu_citzen]

Is this something you have to do to drink the water out of the waterway over in the US?

At least in the northern parts of Sweden you can drink straight of out the stream; as long as there is plant life next to it. Also good if it flows in grave - has a "cleaning" effekt.
Just not to close to the shore; go out a bit into the water. It has to be flowing water, to.

 

[RGINN]

Well Eu_citizen, I just wouldn't recommend drinking water out of any flowing stream here in the US, except in emergency situations. Here, plant life by the water source is not an indicator of being safe to drink. Whatever the stream flows through doesn't seem to have much of an effect on salt, arsenic, alkali, or gyp. But you can go ahead and drink whatever water is available anyway if you want. Drink from a muddy hoofprint along the trail. Filter it through grass first. The problem is, if you were in a live or die situation, you would not want to do one thing to lessen your chances, like getting sick from bad water. Die from it and your troubles would be over, but get sick and you'll die slower. We're all thinking more about the extended wilderness visit, or somehow being stranded and lost. If you don't know how to survive, it is far, far better to err on the side of caution, particularly when dealing with drinking water.

 

[Eu_citzen]

Yeah I hear ya.
No of course plant life is no indicator it is safe, they to can hold heavy metals. (Mercury etc)
It's just interesting to see how you do it in other countries.

 

[RGINN]

Cool Eu_Citizen. I hope you get the chance to visit here and see ' how we do it'. For the most part, we pick up our supplies at 7-Eleven or WalMart. We have paved over the wilderness in order to make it more accessible to all. You can honest to God visit Arches National Park in Utah in July and NEVER leave the AIR-CONDITIONED comfort of your pick-up for maybe more than 15 minutes. So if you get over here, look me up. We'll go out and do things that the government considers illegal, but we'll plead not guilty because we grew up in the country and didn't know no better! You think? Also, go find and read and memorize books by Edward Abbey before you come visit. Well, up to a point anyway, because he did tend to get off track a few times.

 

[papajos]

Cool Eu_Citizen. I hope you get the chance to visit here and see ' how we do it'. For the most part, we pick up our supplies at 7-Eleven or WalMart. We have paved over the wilderness in order to make it more accessible to all. You can honest to God visit Arches National Park in Utah in July and NEVER leave the AIR-CONDITIONED comfort of your pick-up for maybe more than 15 minutes. So if you get over here, look me up. We'll go out and do things that the government considers illegal, but we'll plead not guilty because we grew up in the country and didn't know no better! You think? Also, go find and read and memorize books by Edward Abbey before you come visit. Well, up to a point anyway, because he did tend to get off track a few times.

Interesting you mention Edward Abbey-have read most if not all his books some time ago, still pick one up on occaision to re-read. George Hayduke is "the man".

 

[mrs.oroblanco]

That's an interesting item.

It's really no more expensive than the one we use. (Katadyn)


B

 

[papajos]

That's an interesting item.

It's really no more expensive than the one we use. (Katadyn)


B

Yeah, so far it works great. We have nice clear water here but we also have a lot of beavers So "beaver fever" is a problem. It is no fun (intestinal attacks). The device kills the giardia cyst and other microscopic bugs that make you sick. Also stops any viruses in the water. Handy gadget.

 

[mrs.oroblanco]

The Katadyn also gets rid of bacteria from animals, and has a guarantee (supposedly) that is will make even sewer water acceptable (though, I just can't seem to test that theory ).

It has been used in muddy water, and it does come out clear. The issue I have with it is that we always have to carry an extra filter with us, because it will plug up after awhile (especially if there is algae and the like in the water we are purifying). Also, when a new filter goes in, the water tastes horrendous. It has a combination filter - with charcoal and two other layers, but you have to waste at least one gallon of water going through a new filter before that charcoal taste gets out of the water. (yuk!).

When we bought it, we did have it tested. I was working at P&G at the water treatment plant, so, after running a couple of gallons of really bad water through it, I brought it into work and ran all the water treatment tests on the filtered water, and they all passed with flying colors, so, I was satisfied - it even passed the culture test (where you put different bacterias in the water and keep them warm in a solution to see if anything would grow after a week.) It basically tests for cysts and bacteria that could multiply and/or grow.

I would really be interested in that Steripen. Especially in conjunction with what we already carry. Since you brought it up, I have looked at many sites that sell them, but haven't been able to find any kind of owner's manual (brochure) on its capabilities.


B

 

[papajos]

B-Try the customer service @ LL Bean. They are very good, and actually do the research on the products they sell. Thats where i got mine on sale. Was looking at a Katadyn as well. The "base camp". Just fill with water and hang it up, pretty cool. They have been in business a very long time...Katadyn (and LL Bean too).

 

[Eu_citzen]

Cool Eu_Citizen. I hope you get the chance to visit here and see ' how we do it'. For the most part, we pick up our supplies at 7-Eleven or WalMart. We have paved over the wilderness in order to make it more accessible to all. You can honest to God visit Arches National Park in Utah in July and NEVER leave the AIR-CONDITIONED comfort of your pick-up for maybe more than 15 minutes. So if you get over here, look me up. We'll go out and do things that the government considers illegal, but we'll plead not guilty because we grew up in the country and didn't know no better! You think? Also, go find and read and memorize books by Edward Abbey before you come visit. Well, up to a point anyway, because he did tend to get off track a few times.

Maybe one day I can.
Paved over the wilderness?
I see, I think it's a shame though. I like the challenge!
However with so many in your country I also understand they want to make it readily available.

Edward Abbey? What's so special about his books?

//Eu

 

[mrs.oroblanco]

Thanks Papajos

I like LL Bean, too. I will check them out.

B

 

[RGINN]

I highjacked your post Papajos and I apologize. Since I am up here in mining country, have you run across anything that will detect the mineral content in water? Just a quick test so if you know if it's safe to drink.

 

[papajos]

I highjacked your post Papajos and I apologize. Since I am up here in mining country, have you run across anything that will detect the mineral content in water? Just a quick test so if you know if it's safe to drink.

As far as detecting...not sure. Most decent filters will remove most contaminants though. Most except radiation. Try the Katadyn website and contact them. They will tell you for sure.

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

Good morning my friends: An excerpt from another site that I posted in. Which water treatment would you advise in this case / situation?
*************************
"However your third picture of the original ones, looks almost exactly like the one at Guadalcanal where in 1942 I was filling my canteen and drinking, only to find a 1/2 buried Jap disintegrating about 3 meters above where I was drinking. Long green streamers were drifting off down to me sheesh. It definitely gave me serious thoughts, but I did need that water, desperately, so I kept it down".

Don Jose de La Mancha

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Is this something you have to do to drink the water out of the waterway over in the US?

At least in the northern parts of Sweden you can drink straight of out the stream; as long as there is plant life next to it. Also good if it flows in grave - has a "cleaning" effekt.
Just not to close to the shore; go out a bit into the water. It has to be flowing water, to.

Cool Eu_Citizen. I hope you get the chance to visit here and see ' how we do it'. For the most part, we pick up our supplies at 7-Eleven or WalMart. We have paved over the wilderness in order to make it more accessible to all. You can honest to God visit Arches National Park in Utah in July and NEVER leave the AIR-CONDITIONED comfort of your pick-up for maybe more than 15 minutes.

Paved over the wilderness?
I see, I think it's a shame though. I like the challenge!

Yes its a cryin shame that so much of the US is being paved over. But certainly not all of it. Here in the Everglades you can walk for days without seeing another person and Im sure its that way in many other preserved areas like Alaska..

We can also drink the water here if its flowing and filtered through the vegetation. Besides heavy metals out west the problem is the possibility of defecation or a decaying carcass upstream. I wrote a little water story. Nothing serious or life threatening. I just forgot my water lol. I need to buy a filter. http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,381928.0.html

Papajos do you have a link or pics?

 

[mrs.oroblanco]

RGINN,

If you are talking about the "hardness" of your water (minerals only), there are several handy test kits for about a dollar.

There are also many "quick look" tests, also quite reasonable prices.

http://www.filtersfast.com/water-test-kit-cat.asp?gclid=CIv7lYb-pqcCFUx95QodCQYYBg


Beth